Chips as a new opportunity for the Liberec Region. Local technologies are heading to Taiwan

A new chip factory being built in Dresden could create new business opportunities for companies in the Czech Republic as well. The Liberec Region is therefore already preparing to become part of the emerging European semiconductor ecosystem by mapping technologies developed by local companies and the Technical University of Liberec and connecting them with international partners. In September, it will head directly to one of the world’s key semiconductor hubs: at SEMICON Taiwan, the region plans to showcase what it has to offer.

One of Europe’s most important semiconductor projects is currently taking shape in nearby Dresden: a factory producing chips that are now essential in almost every area of modern life, from mobile phones and cars to everyday household appliances.

The new ESMC plant, representing an investment of more than €10 billion, is backed by Taiwanese chipmaker TSMC together with Bosch, Infineon and NXP. Just as car manufacturers rely on hundreds of specialised suppliers, chip production also depends on an extensive supply chain. Semiconductor fabs require technologies, materials and services provided by many other companies – and it is precisely within this supply chain that the Liberec Region sees an opportunity for local businesses and research institutions.

“If we want companies from the Liberec Region to become part of these supply chains, we need to make ourselves visible while new partnerships and supplier networks are still being formed. We have a great deal to offer, from optics and nanotechnology to cutting-edge research. The semiconductor industry gives us an opportunity to build on areas in which the region is already strong and open the door to new contracts for local companies,” says Edvard Kožušník, Deputy Governor for Economic and Strategic Development of the Liberec Region.

The region is betting on optics and nanotechnology

The Liberec Region has been preparing for the opportunities created by the growth of the semiconductor industry for some time. Its Regional Development Agency connects local companies with the Technical University of Liberec, CzechInvest and partners in neighbouring Saxony. Together with the university, it is also mapping technologies that could find applications in the semiconductor industry.

Among the Liberec Region’s key strengths are optics and nanotechnology, both of which play an important role in chip manufacturing. Precision optical systems help create the extremely fine structures found on chips and are subsequently used to measure and inspect them. Companies such as Crytur and asphericon, as well as the TOPTEC research centre, specialise in optics. The region also has a strong nanotechnology base, with research and development carried out by the Technical University of Liberec and its CXI research institute.

Crytur is already an established supplier to the semiconductor industry. “There are only a handful of companies worldwide producing the technologies needed to equip semiconductor fabs, and Crytur already supplies them with precision detection assemblies. We therefore see the construction of such a major plant in Europe very positively. It can accelerate both the development and deployment of technologies we are involved in and create further opportunities for cooperation,” says Jan Bitman of Crytur.

Other technologies with potential applications in the semiconductor industry are offered, for example, by UCT, a supplier of technologies for semiconductor production lines; printed circuit board manufacturers CUBE CZ and Hokami CZ; and Hardwario, a developer of advanced IoT platforms.

“Our role is not to invent new technologies – they are already here. We want to identify companies and research teams that have something to offer the semiconductor industry, connect them with the right partners and help them access opportunities that would otherwise be more difficult to reach on their own,” says Petr Dobrovský, Managing Director of the Regional Development Agency.

Liberec technologies are heading to Taiwan

At the beginning of September, the Regional Development Agency will represent the Liberec Region at SEMICON Taiwan, one of the world’s leading semiconductor industry trade fairs. In Taipei, it will present the region, its companies, technologies and research capabilities and meet with potential partners.

The aim is to establish contacts with local authorities, research institutions and companies that could lead to new partnerships and concrete business opportunities for the Liberec Region in the future.

One platform for semiconductor technologies

The Regional Development Agency also brings together the companies, technologies and research institutions that the Liberec Region can offer the semiconductor industry on the dedicated website. International partners can use it to explore opportunities for cooperation, while local companies can find information about opportunities within the sector.

Kritické zhodnocení: Překlad je záměrně publicistický a přirozený, nikoli doslovný; některé české formulace jsem proto převedl do běžnějšího anglického ekonomicko-technologického stylu, například „zakázky“ jako business opportunities/contracts a „továrna na čipy“ místy jako semiconductor fab. U názvů institucí a funkcí by ještě stálo za to ověřit jejich oficiálně používané anglické ekvivalenty, pokud má text jít na oficiální zahraniční web.